First Gay Pride in Curacao not continued as planned

WILLEMSTAD - The first Gay Pride in Curacao is off. The Curaçao government has set additional conditions in the granting of the permit for the event on the island. It was suppose to be held in downtown Punda, the old town of Willemstad today.

According to the police, the carrying of flags, photos and other demonstration are dangerous attributes and therefore not allowed. Organizer CG PRO believes that those attributes are essential for a parade. She thinks the new conditions, which were given one day before the event, are 'very strange'. To ensure the colorful character of the Pride, CG PRO has decided to move the event to the Floris Suite Hotel, just southwest of town.

This week the local Gaypride was in the news after a member of parliament from the ruling Pueblo Soberano party, the party of the murdered politician Helmin Wiels, openly called on the church leaders on the island to talk about their disgust for homosexuality. According to MP, Curaçao awaits the same fate as the people of Israel, when it allows gay people to openly parade in the streets. It is unclear whether Pueblo Soberano has exercised pressure behind the scenes to set additional requirements.

A regional Caribbean edition of the Gay Pride is in the pipeline for May 2014. Gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender and other interested parties from across the region will come to Curacao. CG Pro now wants the assurances from the authorities that this event can continue.

The ‘slimmed’ event is open to everyone, regardless of their sexual preference. It starts at 15:00 local time.